Lipstick Traces
by fuchsiagroan
Summary: Mandy's History, so far one chapter, more will follow if wanted.


A/N I am not the most confidant writer and I am not entirely sure about this story. So far it comprises of one chapter and if people wish to read more please review and I will post more up.unless I just get really bored and post more anyway.  
  
I did this story about Mandy's history as she is my favourite character in Velvet Goldmine and I don't feel there is enough fan fic written about her. I wrote this very late at night and while I have some ideas about her immediate past just prior to the movie I didn't really have any thoughts of her birthplace and childhood. So I made this all up pretty much on the spot. I hope its okay and if not, sorry for wasting your time.  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Velvet Goldmine, The Beatles or any other reference to pop culture I make in this fan fic. I am a poor young high school student who writes this stuff to improve my ability and so I can vent my ideas.  
  
Chapter One  
  
When Amanda Michelle Vern was born in the early hours of the third of June 1950, no one expected her to become the wife of a world famous pop singer. To tell the complete truth no one expected much from her at all.  
  
She was the ultimate cliché. Born to two middle class parents, Hank and Sarah in a small peaceful area of suburbia outside of New York. Her residence was a three-bedroom brick house full of labour saving appliances and the faint aroma of cookies. Hank was a "chipper" teacher that had loving relationships with all of his students, whilst Sarah enjoyed the simpler features of life, cooking, cleaning and occasional girls nights in with a couple of close friends.  
  
However Sarah's continuous bleeding during labour resulted in a hysterectomy leaving Amanda an unhappy child. Hank and Sarah, realising that this was to be their only child became what they thought was the best parent's possible. In reality this was putting a constricting bandage of love and guilt around Amanda. While they constantly professing love and showering Amanda with hugs and kisses they also lashed out on her, blaming her for the lack of another "bundle of joy".  
  
By the time Amanda was thirteen she was a confused human. She had almost no friends, besides a ten-year-old compulsive liar and a fifteen-year-old gangly sex-craved male teenager. These two companions were seen fit in Hank and Sarah's eyes and were given the privilage of their daughter's company. The fact that both their father's were well to do and prominent members of the local council was an added bonus. Amanda was unsure of herself. She was a plain girl, tall, skinny with brown hair and eyes. She was undistinguishable in any crowd of people. Amanda had a lot to say yet was so repressed the odd grunt was the only thing that passed her lips. Banned objects like make-up or "shiny" clothes were banned, as her mother would often yell at her, "Best to keep these things where they belong, on stage, or on lunatics. A girl must be modest these days".  
  
Her liberation did not come for another three years. But whilst her entire being of existence up to this point in time was clichéd in every possible way, her break for freedom was quite unpredictable. No hippy wearing love beads stole her away. She did not participate in free love and the growing fear of war had virtually no effect on her. It occurred on one not very outstanding day when she was sent to stay with an aunt who had a daughter of similar age to Amanda. This daughter Rachel sub-consciously pushed her into a path of ruin.  
  
Upon meeting Amanda, Rachel saw what a sorry excuse for a human she really was. Dressed in brown calico, limp hair pulled tightly into a ponytail and every last ounce of personality weened out of her, Rachel new this girl needed help. While Rachel was no miracle worker she new the first thing this girl needed was a firm application of lipstick. The colour happened to be particularly conservative, however it was not the colour that affected Amanda in ways that any human could have comprehended. It was the taste. The lipstick that was speared over Amanda's lips was filling her mind with tastes she could have never imagined. The taste of glamour, outrageousness and above all else the taste of freedom. This taste caused such an effect to Amanda's beliefs and mental structure that she was compelled to do something radical. Say a complete sentence comprising of more than two words in an audible tone, "Could I please listen to some music?" Rachel discovering with a small amount of horror the immediate and possible devastating effect the lipstick had had on her cousin looked in horror before placing her well listened to "Please Please Me" album on her record player and watched the music roll through Amanda's ears, into her brain and straight to the pleasure centre. Three days later when she departed from Rachel's house for the journey home, Amanda was a changed human.  
  
Amanda's changed personality, possibly her growth of personality was kept hidden from her parents.for a few days. In her liberation, Amanda had lost her ability to repress her thoughts and opinions. When she returned home a couple of days after staying with Rachel with newly the acquired Beatles record under her arm she knew she had some explaining to do. Hank and Sarah's shock was minimal to what she had expected. What Amanda was unaware of was the heated conversation that took place after she explained to her parents her sudden "changes" and how this would affect the family. While her parent's reaction was in her opinion an understanding that this day was going to arrive it was actually that of shock and attempts to find the guilty party. So when Amanda was safely asleep in her room, the light sounds of "Love, love me do. You know I love you," flitting through the air her parents downstairs were arguing in hushed whispers,  
  
"I don't know what could have happened Hank, she doesn't talk to the other children at her school. The ones that could have affected her this badly."  
  
"Calm down Sarah, it hasn't gone too far yet. It's just some music, The Beatles. I hear the student's talking about them all the time. They're just some innocent boys from England. She's not listening to anything radical."  
  
"Calm down, CALM DOWN! I saw makeup on her lips, her hair was flowing and she is listening to music. You know what those people turn into. She'll be pregnant in a couple of month's maybe even start taking drugs. The times aren't safe any more, not like when we were growing up. I just don't know who could have done this to her?"  
  
"Sarah, we are not going to find out maybe we should just be supportive. She said she'd finish school and continue her education. The times are changing; she can't remain a housewife like you. Its only music and makeup."  
  
"I don't know what teaching has done to you Hank, you've been affected by all those teenagers. When she was born we agreed to raise her in the traditional manner, why have things changed?"  
  
"The times are changing Sarah, so is our daughter."  
  
But whilst the argument continued long into the night Amanda remained oblivious to it all, in a state of ecstasy dreaming about the future and what it may hold. 


End file.
